Code Geass: Lelouch of the Revival
by Xero Infinity
Summary: Waking up, when he's supposed to be dead; battered and bleeding, Lelouch tries to understand how he's alive and what's left for him to do in the world that he created.
1. Author's Note

**_Author's Note_**

Hello! Welcome to my first try on a Code Geass fanfiction. Now this entire 'Lelouch lives' plot is a bit common. I have thought of it and will try to make the flow of the story as unique and interesting as possible. I think my approach is quite different so I hope you find it worth reading.

My original plan for this story was to separate it into two parts. I'm not delving in deeper but the first part is around 2018 a.t.b and the second part would be around 2022-2025 a.t.b. The reason behind the uncertainty of the year in which the second part will occur is mainly for plot widening, nothing more.

This is also my first time in actually writing works of fiction in almost a year. So, to those who were waiting for me to update my stories from other fandoms: I am truly sorry for keeping you waiting as I cannot seem to balance my academic life and social life, leaving little room at all for leisure activities such as creative writing.

But still, I will get back on all of my stories and if it comes to it, I will be putting my ideas for my fanfiction for adoption to others that are willing to continue on the stories.

 ** _The synopsis of the story will be in the next chapter_** (I kinda like things organized hence the separation of the author's note and the first chapter).

Aside from that, I have nothing more to say but

 ** _Enjoy!_**

 ** _Xero Infinity_**


	2. Prologue

_**Code Geass: Lelouch of the Revival**_

 _ **Synopsis:**_

 _All went according to what Lelouch, Suzaku, and C.C had planned during their one month stay in Baghdad, Iraq. Yet they failed to factor in one simple thing. Waking up in an unknown place, battered and bleeding, Lelouch tries to understand how he's alive and what's left for him to do in the world that he created._

Prologue

* * *

It was finished. The Zero Requiem, once realized, would enable the world to cast aside their differences and move on to form a much kinder, gentler world that encompasses the previous one filled with hatred. It would also usher in an era of peace, long forgotten by the countless wars that brought nothing but destruction and sorrow to the different areas—no, _countries_ that Britannia had forcefully taken. But now, everything would be returned to what it has should've been.

All thanks to the person that the world will surely remember—Lelouch vi Britannia, the 99th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, the Black Prince, the Demon Emperor.

And only a few truly knew what his intentions were.

'It's done.' He thought to himself, not even knowing how he was still able to think. The last thing he remembered was Nunnaly grasping his hands, muttering words he no longer remembered probably due to how close he was to dying.

But he was at peace with dying, without him in the picture. The world he envisioned and desired for his sister would finally be realized—a kinder and gentler world that no longer judges based on ethnicity, but on character. He knew from the start that he cannot erase the judgmental side of people, but this was definitely better than the classist, social darwinistic perspectives that Britannia had been promoting under Charles zi Brittannia's reign.

 _Drip…Drip_

'Hmm…' Lelouch muttered in his thoughts. He wondered how long this state of his would last until he finally passes on into the afterlife or whatever awaits him on the other side. There had been numerous research on how brain activity continues for as long as ten minutes after death. While met with speculation, this would've served as one of the chances in which he could prove the hypothesis-of-sort. Maybe he was undertaking those last few minutes, or maybe this was already the afterlife itself—a dark vast plane in which one is forced to relive and contemplate all that he has done in life for eternity.

'What a damning situation that is.' He thought. His life was certainly not a life by a saint. Marred with the blood of thousands, if not millions of people, and being forced to relive and contemplate all that he had done? Well, that was something he couldn't stomach, but if it were to be his punishment, then so be it. Lelouch can't deny to himself that he wasn't sinful. In fact, he devised Zero Requiem as a two-part plan: One, to bring peace to the world and two, to atone for his sins, particularly to his own sister, Euphemia li Britannia, of which she was wrongly defamed.

 _Drip…Drip_

'Well, I need not to dwell on those thoughts anymore' He said to himself in melancholy. 'Death is surely a doorstep away.' He chuckled as he went silent. Quietly waiting for whatever it was on the other side…

 _Drip…Drip_

 _Drip…Drip_

 _Drip…_

 _Drip._

* * *

 ** _Undisclosed Location | September 24, 2018 a.t.b | 01:00 AM_**

Lelouch woke up with a gasp, seemingly desperate for air, judging from his fast irregular breaths. After calming down his breathing to a healthy pace did he only realize another predicament.

He was in pain.

And not the bearable kind. It hurt to try and move his hands, it hurt to try and move his legs, it even hurt to look around and see where he was, but from what he could see—with his still-adjusting vision—and feel, he was in the middle of a large, dimly-lit area that was spanning at least twenty meters in the four main directions, a ceiling that was about nine meters in height, and four bridges connecting to a podium in the very middle of the room.

 _Drip…Drip_

"There goes that sound again." He said in a strained voice, not knowing entirely how it was strained as he finally notices yet another of his current predicaments.

He was hanging from the ceiling.

He looked up and saw that both of his hands were bound by clumsily-tied knots connected to the length of the rope that was looped through one of the things Lelouch had no strength to comprehend and went back down, finally being tied to a sort-of cylindrical ornament a few meters from Lelouch. The only good thing out of that was the fact that he was only about two meters from the ground.

 _Drip…Drip_

He tried to get down by slowly wriggling his wrists from the knot, ignoring the gnawing pain that came with the action. Slowly, but surely, he was getting somewhere.

 _Drip…Drip_

Until the knot loosened and he fell to the ground.

Pain overtook all of his senses, as he didn't think that falling from a height of two meters would cause him this much. What was surprising for him was the puddle of liquid that was also on the ground. While it was indeed dim where he was not, he easily concluded what the liquid was based only on its metallic smell and taste due to his head falling face-down into the puddle

 _Blood._

'So that was the dripping sounds that I've been hearing.' He thought as he tried to move towards the wall at the edge of the podium without causing himself that much pain. It took him about ten minutes to do so, but he did manage to position himself against the wall as comfortable as he could be in his current situation, which was nigh impossible.

And he proceeded to do one of the most useful things he could, think and analyze the current 'mess' he was in, and if even they intended to keep it clean. The best way to do that was to gather all of the information he could, based on the current situation, and then work from there.

Now able to get a better look at his body. Lelouch couldn't even begin to describe what had transpired. It seemed that he was still in his garments on the day that Suzaku killed him, but this time his clothing was ripped in almost all places. He suspected that his plan to have his body delivered to a specified funeral home where a Geassed embalmer and funeral director were to prepare his body, place it inside a coffin of his own choosing, deliver it to New Pendragon to where he ordered it to be received by his sister, and decided to leave it up to her on what she would do with his remains.

Other than his clothes, there were about five more stab wounds of different sizes than he had recalled, all of them still bleeding, although not as much as he had thought. He also seemed to have various cuts and bruises along his arms and legs, the fabric supposed to be covering them cut up and discarded when this was done to him, and to top it all off, he currently had a massive headache for God-knows-what reason. Whoever, no, The people who did this to him were obviously ordinary citizens, judging from how some of his wounds were inflicted randomly, and on how he was tied in the middle of the podium.

While he couldn't see his face, he definitely felt that someone decided to put a vertical gash on his face directly over his left eye. It was even a miracle that he could still see perfectly with both his eyes, disregarding the fact that the area he was in was dimly-lit, thereby affecting his vision, but he didn't find that surprising anymore.

What was surprising however was that he was still alive after all of the beatings, cuts, scrapes, and stabs that he had received, not to mention the huge amount of blood that formed a puddle in the middle of the podium where he was hanging from earlier.

But for him to live through all of that, he would have to-

No.

 _No._

"Why did this have to happen?!" He said, obviously irate, although hardly noticeable aside from the despair and sadness in his voice as he muttered those words. This definitely ruined the entire purpose of Zero Requiem, how can the world be at peace when he, the person who was dubbed as 'the enemy of the world', was still alive? While it was given that he had already been killed, all it takes is for one person to see him at the right place and at the right time, and given his history with these so-called 'chances', he'd be damned if he didn't take extra precaution this time.

Tired from everything that he had discovered and done, he decided to rest for a while, still wary of his surroundings.

* * *

 ** _Living Quarters, Tokyo Metropolitan Residential Building, Tokyo Settlement | September 24, 2018 a.t.b | 11:20 AM_**

A full day had passed since the culmination of Zero Requiem, and Suzaku—now Zero—was sprawled on his bed, still in his Zero attire sans mask, bloodshot eyes staring at the ceiling of his room. In the end, he was able to avenge Euphemia and 'kill' Lelouch with his own hands.

'But why am I crying?' Suzaku thought as another tear escaped his left eye. Although he had a hard time admitting it to himself, he was still one of Lelouch's trusted comrades, or at least he liked to think he was. Countless thoughts were now circulating inside Suzaku's mind, yet there was one that kept on repeating itself all throughout.

That he had killed his only best friend, and he could do nothing about it.

Letting go of a deep sign, Suzaku got himself out of the bed, and proceeded to get himself ready for whatever tasks this day had for him. Nothing bad would actually happen, right?

"No, I take that ba—" before Suzaku had a chance to finish what he was saying, a ringtone resonated from Suzaku's personal phone. 'Odd' he thought as it was one Jeremiah Gottwald who was calling him.

Needless to say, he answered it immediately, only to go through several expressions of shock, anger and sadness, all within the span of the 15 seconds it took Jeremiah to deliver his message. After Jeremiah hung up, he dropped his phone to the ground and involuntary sits on his bed, both hands holding his head as he processed what he had just heard.

'How can Lelouch's body be missing?!'

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So, this is the first chapter! Please tell me what you think, whether it be positive or negative as it will definitely help in improving how the story will be constructed, and how to direct its flow.**

 **Also, according to the sources I've read, Pendragon was situated either in Arizona or New Mexico. New Pendragon in my story will be situated in Richmond, Virginia. The choice of city is based on Schneizel's map showing which cities/countries he would attack.**

 **Thank you for reading! Till next time!**

 ** _Xero Infinity_**


	3. Chapter One

**_Code Geass: Lelouch of the Revival_**

 ** _Synopsis:_**

 _All went according to what Lelouch, Suzaku, and C.C had planned during their one month stay in Baghdad, Iraq. Yet they failed to factor in one simple thing. Waking up in an unknown place, battered and bleeding, Lelouch tries to understand how he's alive and what's left for him to do in the world that he created._

 _Chapter One_

* * *

 _ **Undisclosed Location | September**_ _ **24, 2018 | a.t.b**_ _ **4:50 AM**_

It was almost daybreak, but Lelouch didn't know that. The room he was in was still as dark and humid as it was earlier before he decided to take a rest. With him feeling better, he checked out on how his wounds were, only to be both relieved and surprised that from a short—or whatever as he didn't have any sense of time in there at all—time period, his minor lacerations, abrasions and bruises were almost gone—save for the barely-present ache that he could still feel—and those stab wounds from earlier had stopped bleeding, although he could still feel that the wounds have yet to close.

"Nonetheless, this is quite surprising." He said with a grunt as he tried to stand up, only for his head to throb again, causing him to falter and fall onto his knees, clutching his head with one hand whilst using his other to inspect just what was wrong with his head. With seemingly nothing wrong. Lelouch concluded that it could've been due to what had happened to him.

 _What had happened to him?_

Seeing as he wouldn't get the answers he needed. He decided to get out of there and find out where the fuck was he.

* * *

Thirty minutes in, and Lelouch was currently traversing through an abandoned subway system that was connected to the place where he was held and beaten. From what he'd deduced, he was held in one of Japan's storm sewers from before Britannia's declaration of war against the country. How the two places were connected while still functioning efficiently was something that Lelouch put in the back of his mind at the moment, although he did pass through some paths only made possible if explosives were used. Other than that, he'd also concluded that he was currently somewhere within the Shinjuku Ghetto, simply because his 'captors' wouldn't have the time to transport him to a more secluded and faraway location because of Zero Requiem's shocking culmination.

"At least to the rest of the world, it was." He said to no one in particular as he kept on moving, hell-bent on finding his way out of the desolate place he was in, and with no map or any form of technology that could help him whatsoever, he knew that this would definitely take some time.

 _ **Shinjuku Redevelopment Area Block Five, Shinjuku Ghetto | September**_ _ **24, 2018 a.t.b |**_ _ **5:55 AM**_

It had taken him another half hour to find some sort of light source other than the sparsely scattered light fixtures, of which some were also broken causing some parts of the path to be near pitch-black. Had his eyes not adjusted to the dark, he would've tripped countless times already. Climbing up the stairs to the surface, he ended up in an abandoned warehouse that oddly seemed familiar, yet he could not point out what it was about the place that made it familiar.

Walking around the warehouse, he observed two things. First there was dried blood on the ground, it was still there, even though minimal amounts of it remained, and second. There were holes in the galvanized steel wall that seemed to have been caused by gunfire, wherever he was, a fight definitely happened there, although he wasn't sure when it happ-

"Oh." Was all Lelouch managed to say as it finally dawned upon him.

He was at the warehouse where he was cornered in by Britannian soldiers, where he witnessed them murder C.C by shooting her in the head—or so he thought at the time—and it was there where he made his contract with C.C, and killed all of the Britannian soldiers.

It was there where he first started his rebellion, and now, fate had decided to toy with him by letting him somehow 'inherit' his father's Geass, causing him to live through that seemingly harsh beating he took from the perpetrators he hadn't had the chance to see, and now? It decided tha-

He got cut off from his thoughts as he heard people coming, carelessly talking out loud.

"Why do you even want to go back there? He's dead. We made sure of it when we repeatedly stabbed him and shot him in the head!"

'I was shot in the head?' He wondered as his hands involuntarily inspected his head once more, with him still listening to his 'murderers' who were closing in on the warehouse.

"It's not that, idiot." The other person started "Britannia's supposedly trying to find that scum's body and is planning to send out search teams. We just need to make sure that we left no evidence behind."

Lelouch was now in a state of…well he didn't know. He was still mostly in shock because of everything that had transpired in just a couple of hours—maybe days. With nothing coming up to mind as to what to do, he just stood there, waiting for his 'murderers' to discover that the Demon Emperor that they thought they'd put down for good was still alive.

"Fate truly has a cruel sense of humor."

 _ **Black Knights Escort Vehicle, Tokyo Settlement | September**_ _ **24, 2018 a.t.b |**_ _ **12:00 NN**_

Needless to say, it didn't take Suzaku much more convincing to get out of his bed, tidy himself up, don his Zero mask, re-calibrating the new voice modulator that made sure he still sounded like the first Zero, and immediately proceeded to the Government Building, which was about twenty minutes away, being chauffeured by someone he assumed to be from the Black Knights, if the all-black attire were any indication of the chauffeur's organization.

He hadn't had the chance to meet the core members of the Black Knights, as at that time he was too busy in managing the crowd that had gone to the vehicle where they were situated in—with Nunnally still beside Lelouch, mourning for his brother's death—however, when the crowd got too rowdy. Suzaku had no choice but to get Nunnally away from Lelouch, much to the former's displeasure. He had heard that Jeremiah ordered all of the Britannian soldiers to fall back, so he didn't worry much about Lelouch's body as Jeremiah would ensure that his 'Lord' would be safe.

'But he didn't.' Suzaku thought, his demeanor never betraying to his true emotions. In fact, he was currently in a sort-of 'turmoil' over everything that was happening. At first, he was only tasked with 'assassinating' the Demon Emperor— ' _God, it hurts to say that.' He absent-mindedly added_ —and now, barely even pulling himself together, he finds out that Lelouch's body was missing and was headed to a meeting with the core members of the Black Knights, as well as the remaining Britannian forces now under Jeremiah, who was acting as their temporary commander. Surprisingly, it was Kaname Oghi who had invited the Britannians to the meeting.

And according to what Jeremiah had said. He, too, was invited to the meeting. Albeit a last-minute decision, the Black Knights had decided that it would be best to 'hit two birds with one stone', and true to his words, not long after the call he received a message from a blocked number, relaying the details on when and where was the meeting scheduled.

'How they got the number of this phone, I will never know.' He thought

Thinking back, Jeremiah had also mentioned that the Black Knights requested that the witch C.C be there, but even they didn't know where C.C went, or when exactly she left. The woman really didn't have anything binding her to Britannia or Japan aside from Lelouch, and with him… _gone_ , she had no reason to stay. He actually thought that the Black Knights wouldn't accept Jeremiah's explanation, but to his surprise they did and actually agreed to what Jeremiah said. Perhaps it was because the Black Knights also had known and seen C.C, even if knowledge of her was kept mostly within the core members, and of what she truly was, to only a select few.

"I should've expected that the path to peace wouldn't be an easy trail." Suzaku said to himself, looking through the window of the tinted black sedan to check where they currently were, only for a small smile to form behind his mask as he saw both the Japanese and the Britannians were helping hand in hand in starting over; from complex matters such as rebuilding the settlement, to simple things such as striking a conversation with people they formerly perceived as either oppressive or as scum, depending on their nationalities.

"But it's definitely easier now." He said to no one as he sat back in silence, patiently waiting for his ride to end, and to finally face the men that had betrayed Lelouch, as well as reunite with the ones who were once loyal to him, but this time

As Zero.

 ** _Conference Room Alpha, Metropolitan Government Building, Tokyo Settlement_** **| _September 24, 2018 a.t.b_ | _12:35 NN_**

To call this place as a _conference room_ would be insulting the architects and interior designers that helped build it—even though that was their intention. Standing at the entrance, the _conference room_ itself was about a hundred square meters—if not more—which was big enough for a small house, with beige-colored walls and tall picture windows adorned with pulled-back golden drapery, not to mention the four Doric columns meant to be either as ornaments or as structure support near the four corners of the hall as well as the elegant, glass chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling. The only things that made the room _seem_ like a conference room was the wooden elliptical table at the center of the room, with what seemed to be a three-dimensional holographic projector attached on the very center of the table, and an approximately one-hundred-inch screen placed at the wall opposite the entrance, which was obviously for video conferences.

Looking at his watch, Suzaku noticed that he was quite early as the meeting was scheduled at one in the afternoon. With nothing to do, he decided to leave the conference room, find an inconspicuous spot to wait at, and enter at the opportune moment. After all, Zero was a man for theatrics.

* * *

"Are you sure that he received the message?" One Kaname Oghi asked Kaguya Sumeragi, who was currently situated beside him.

"Manners, Mister Oghi. Now just because you're going to be declared as Japan's new Prime Minister that doesn't mean you can address me as such." Kaguya reprimanded. It was quite the scene seeing the soon-to-be Prime Minister of Japan's demeanor waver a bit at the 15-year-old politician's words.

She then turned her attention towards the world leaders that comprised the United Federation of Nations, as well as the Britannian representative. All of the chairs in the conference hall were already occupied by agitated world leaders, save for one.

Zero's.

"Regardless of Zero's absence, we will commence with the meeting as scheduled." She started off "First, I must send my re-" but she never had the chance to finish her statement as the double oak doors suddenly opened, revealing the all-too familiar costume of the once-considered terrorist who now has saved the world from an 'absolute dictatorship', at least from the perspective of the UFN.

"My apologies for being late, Miss Sumeragi." Zero said, letting a small smile grace his face behind the mask as he heard the output of the voice modulator. It had done its job and perfectly replicated how Lelouch's voice had sounded. Suzaku slightly reveled at the looks of the agitated world leaders at his appearance, but the feeling went by just as fast as it had shown up. Now as stoic as ever, he started walking to his designated seat, with each footstep resonating in the tense atmosphere that the room had.

Now seated, Zero eyed all of the people currently seated with him. It appeared that all of the UFN leaders were present, the key members of the Order of the Black Knights—Li Xingke, Kaname Oghi, Kallen Kozuki, Kyoshiro Tohdoh, and Rakshata Chawla—and finally, the representatives of Britannia, which consisted of Jeremiah Gottwald and two guards who he wasn't familiar with.

But there were two things that stood out to him. The first one would be the glare that Jeremiah was sending him, and the second was Gino Weinberg, who was standing beside Kaguya Sumeragi, the first Chairwoman of the United Federation of Nations, and who was also sending him a glare.

"Thank you for acknowledging our invitation Ma—Zero." Kaguya said, saying the last word with a bit of uncertainty, but Suzaku had caught the Chairwoman's slip up.

"Now, with everyone in check, we may begin." She continued in a quite authoritative tone.

"With all formalities aside, this conference's purpose would be set on two things. The first agenda would be of course, with Britannia. Now that the 99th Emperor is gone, the United Federation of Nations need to know which path is Britannia now set on. Furthermore…" Suzaku tuned out Kaguya as he chuckled to himself. It appeared that Lelouch was right about this one. He had stated that when Zero Requiem is finished, the U.F.N would seize advantage over Britannia's sudden loss, seeing as it is easily the only coalition that could stand up to the empire's strength, and stabilize the condition as fast as possible, even go as far as to make it favorable to them. Of course, Lelouch had already given instructions to Jeremiah on how to handle this situation, all he had to do now was wait.

"…od. With that covered, the second agenda would be." She paused as the atmosphere around her got colder all of a sudden. Regaining composure, she continued.

"Would be regarding you, Zero."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **And that's it for now! Please leave a review as it would give me an idea on how you guys are liking it so far!**

 **Till next time!**

 ** _Xero Infinity_**


	4. Chapter Two

**Author's Note:**

 **This chapter will be covering almost the entirety of the meeting, and parts concerning Lelouch as I feel that his side of the story needs to 'pick up the pace', so to speak. Also, a certain character might seem familiar to you here, but I've changed certain things here and there, so you'll probably notice it once you read that part.**

 **And this is the chapter where I'll be introducing the first O.C. which I plan on making a major character once the story progresses, along with some other O.C.'s that'd play minor roles in the chapters to come.**

 **This is perhaps the longest chapter I've ever written for a story. With all that said, enjoy!**

 **P.S: Please leave a review down below!**

* * *

 ** _Code Geass: Lelouch of the Revival_**

 ** _Synopsis:_**

 _All went according to what Lelouch, Suzaku, and C.C had planned during their one month stay in Baghdad, Iraq. Yet they failed to factor in one simple thing. Waking up in an unknown place, battered and bleeding, Lelouch tries to understand how he's alive and what's left for him to do in the world that he created._

 _Chapter Two_

* * *

 _ **Shinjuku Redevelopment Area Block Five, Shinjuku Ghetto |**_ _ **September 24, 2018 a.t.b |**_ _ **6:30 AM**_

Blood was all that could be seen on the floor, where five, lifeless bodies piled upon, blood still leaking out of their fresh wounds that was causing the pool of blood to widen. Staring at the pile of bodies with wide eyes, Lelouch tried to make sense just what had happened, a dagger coated in blood clenched into his right hand, which was also drenched in blood that reached up to his arms, to which it went on top of the dried-up blood that was still left on certain patches of his skin there.

" _W-what did I-."_ He muttered, trying to comprehend everything just as a sudden jolt made him remember what had happened a few minutes before.

 _He lost count at thirty. The five persons currently mauling him, who he had no recollection of ever encountering at one point of his life, continued on hitting him to no end, mostly out of fear that he was alive after what they had done to him, to which had led into anger. While he knows that he's no saint, he couldn't fathom what was motivating his supposed 'captors'._

 _Lelouch couldn't see them well, as he was being battered, but from what he'd seen when they first entered the premises of the warehouse. The group consisted of five males, all Japanese. The four of them were all of equal stature and build, but the last one was definitely taller by six inches or so and had the aura of a skilled soldier. He also seemed to be the leader of the group as the four were trailing behind him at a safe distance._

" _Gah!" He blurted out as one of them punched a part of his torso he knew was where Suzaku had stabbed him. Blown off his feet, he was immediately sent to the floor, blood seeping out from the stab wound that was punched._

" _If only the people saw you now. The_ _ **Demon Emperor.**_ _" The leader of the group said the last words with contempt and disgust. "Well, I'm not even sure how you lived, seeing as we saw you were dead when our other comrades retrieved you._

 _He proceeded to get a dagger that was concealed inside the cloak he was wearing. The dagger seemed to already have blood stains on it, causing his eyes to widen slightly, leading him to the conclusion that the dagger was the same one used on him._

" _Hmm. I see you figured out that this is the same weapon we used to stab you." He suppressed a chuckle "No matter, you won't live long enough now anyway." He went in closer as he motioned the dagger to stab Lelouch straight in the heart._

" _This is payment for what you di—w-what the?" His attacker stopped in shock, and to say that Lelouch wasn't shocked as well would be denying it. His forehead started glowing, showing to his attackers the glowing, blood-red sigil that they knew nothing about. With the red glow on his forehead proving to be a pain to his vision, he simply closed his eyes and waited for it to subside._

 _After a few moments, that it did. When Lelouch opened his eyes, he was certainly surprised to see that the leader stood still, his hand still poised to stab his heart. The same was true to his four lackeys, who just stood there with smug expressions, knowing that their 'victory' is ensured. Seeing as he was the only one who could move, he carefully stood up, taking care of the newly opened stab wound, as well as his new bruises._

 _Still winded and dumbfounded by the current situation he was in, he proceeded to analyze and formulate an explanation to the sudden intervention in the space-time continuum, yet he could think of nothing._

" _Then again, Geass itself is unexplainable as well." He said to no one in particular, imagine his surprise when someone actually replied._

" _That is true, from a human's perspective." The unknown figure said as Lelouch's eyes widened. He looked at the figure to see a very much ethereal being that he knew off the bat wasn't human. The being looked like a regular teenager, save for certain aspects such as her sort-of bob-cut hair which started off as black at the roots yet faded towards a purplish hue to the ends, her outfit which oddly features instances of the Geass sigil from what he thought was an accessory shaped like the sigil down to her olive colored long-sleeves that was shaped like the sigil on top as well as her black pants that had the sigil on both knees. In addition to that, the being he was currently facing was floating about three inches off the ground._

" _W-who are you?" Lelouch started, quite bewildered._

" _Hmm?" She started, looking at Lelouch straight in the eyes. "To humans, I am nobody. I only exist to those who see me."_

" _But our identity is of no concern to you yet, Lelouch." She said before disappearing, causing Lelouch to flinch as she reappeared behind him._

" _You should have a few questions right about now but again, they won't be answered just yet." She paced around the warehouse for a bit, with each step resonating loudly in Lelouch's ears._

" _But let me tell you this." She started. "You have done what only one other human from your time had done." She once again disappeared, and this time materialized beside Lelouch._

" _You've piqued our curiosity." She said, to which astonished him. How could his actions make these… beings curious, much less interested?_

 _With his head still overflowing with thoughts and questions, she continued "Yes, you've made us interested in human affairs, however…" She paused for a bit "Judging by how you just seemingly gave up on your life without fighting back there. My, is that what the great Zero has been reduced to?" She taunted him, but he felt nothing but shame as she found her words to be true to an extent._

" _No, we can't have that." She walked in front of Lelouch and looked at him directly. "You're still a big, if not the biggest player in the game."_

" _Which is why…" She started, motioning her hands to signal a command "_ _ **In the name of Geass, I command you.**_ _ **Live!**_ _"_

 _The moment the last word escaped her mouth, time seemed to move again as the leader of the group proceeded to stab Lelouch, only for him to stab concrete and for him to lose grip of the dagger and for it to conveniently slide to the foot of Lelouch. He proceeded to pick it up and inspect it, then looked at his five attackers coldly with his violet eyes, of which his irises seemed to be outlined by a bluish glow, and said two words that would've brought up certain memories, if it weren't for his current predicament._

" _ **Well then**_ _."_

Lelouch stumbled and dropped the dagger as the last of the memories went away, back into the recesses of his mind, questions popping out by the second.

' _She used_ _Geass on me? No, if it had been Geass, then I would've seen the Geass sigil on at least one of her eyes. If it wasn't Geass, then what did she do?'_ He thought as he composed himself and prepared to leave the warehouse, taking into consideration his surroundings whilst still thinking about what had happened.

And suddenly, the last lines that the mysterious entity had said to him started to reverberate in his head.

'In the name of Geass, I command you. Live!'

' _In the name of Geass, I command you. Live!'_

' _ **In the name of Geass, I command you…**_ _'_

"Was that it?" Lelouch started. "Is she directly involved with—" but before he even had the chance to voice out his thoughts, he heard a car come to a screeching halt a few hundred meters behind him. Realization dawned unto him just as the car's front doors opened.

"Shit, how could I be so careless?" He mutters to himself as he ran, or tried to as he was still sore and hurt from everything that had happened to him. He tried everything to lead the person away from him from pushing over and spilling whatever he saw that would work—trash, construction materials, and such—on the path he treaded on to taking the least obvious routes for escape, but the few hundred-meter lead that he had had soon vanished as the person chasing him was both well-rested and didn't have handicaps like he did.

As he was about to turn on the next alley, he'd heard the sound of a fun being fired by the person making chase. He then muttered a curse to himself as he saw that the alley—and the only path available—he was supposed to be going to led to a dead end. With no choice left as he was cornered at best, he simply raised him hands above his head, and waited for the person to speak.

"You've nowhere to run. Turn around!" The person said, although they did so in a strange accent that seemed vaguely familiar to Lelouch.

'A foreigner.' He thought.

"A foreigner holding someone at gunpoint on international soil. My, you have guts." Lelouch said, not even sure as to why those words came out of his mouth.

"Regardless of my nationality." The person started. "No one would know that you'd died by my hands." As he said that, Lelouch gritted his teeth. With the number of wounds that he possessed, there's no way that the bullet wounds would be traced back to whoever was holding him at gunpoint, and even though he was immortal, it would still take a toll on him if he were shot or stabbed again in any vital parts of his body, which would result to his identity would be revealed as well as his immortality to the world, and that would just cause all of his work to crumble into dust.

Seeing as he had no choice, he went with what the person wanted.

"Very well." He closed his eyes, and faced the person currently holding him at gunpoint.

The moment Lelouch turned to face his chaser, the person had dropped the gun in utter shock. For the impossible had apparently happened, and the person standing in front of him was—

"I am Lelouch vi Britannia. The Eleventh Prince—" He paused, as he reveled in the surprised look on the face of his now identified chaser.

"—and the 99th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire."

Lelouch had practically put into memory the names and faces of all that he deemed of note in the world after he ascended to the throne, as he knew that it was important to keep track of all the possible people that could be of hindrance or of help to his plans, and amongst the short list that he had come up with, he could never forget this person

As this one was the leader of a nation.

"My, what a turn of events." The now identified leader said.

"Indeed." Lelouch let a small smile grace his face.

* * *

 _ **Conference Room Alpha, Metropolitan Government Building, Tokyo Settlement |**_ _ **September 24, 2018 a.t.b |**_ _ **1:10 PM**_

"Pray tell, Miss Sumeragi." Suzaku started, his tone neutral. "What do you want to accomplish with that?" He finished, referring to the second of her laid-out agenda.

"While you do wear the mask and garments of Zero, the U.F.N, as well as the Order of the Black Knights, is certain that the original Zero is dead." While Kaguya was stating this, Suzaku noticed that Kallen and Oghi looked away from him for a moment, emotions completely unreadable, aside from a faint look of regret in their eyes. He also noticed that Tohdoh and Xingke had closed their eyes the moment Kaguya started to speak. He was thankful that Lelouch had shared a bit of his knowledge on human psychology, so it wasn't that hard to deduce what the four's actions pertained to.

'So, they finally understood. I wonder if Kaguya has caught up as well.'

He had not noticed that he tuned out Kaguya, who was still talking regarding the U.F.N.'s consensus on the reason as to why he wasn't the original Zero.

"Furthermore, the mere fact that you appeared after the conclusion of the battle itself is already grounds for speculation as to what your true intentions are. Who are you, _Zero."_ She put emphasis on the last word "And what are your intentions, now that the world finally has its chance at attaining peace?" Before he could put up a reply, Kaguya turns her attention back to the others inside the room.

"Nonetheless, we shall follow to order in which the agendas were stated." She then put her attention to Jeremiah, who was directly in front of her.

"Mr. Gottwald." She started "With former Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia and former Prime Minister Schneizel el Britannia out of the way, I assume that you've taken up the position as the temporary representative of Britannia, am I correct?"

"That would be correct Miss Sumeragi, although this temporary position won't be for long. Once Britannia recuperates-." He was cut off by one of the world leaders present, and with the vast amount of Presidents, Prime Ministers, Chancellors, et cetera. Suzaku didn't bother knowing as to which country the world leader who interrupted Jeremiah was from.

"Then who exactly will be the next Emperor of Britannia, Sir Gottwald? From how you phrased your answer, I assume that Britannia already has someone in mind?" He spoke with a distinct accent Suzaku thought was of European origins. Curious, he decided to look at the nameplate of the person.

 _Alcide Peron_

 _ **Prime Minister**_

 _ **United States of Italy**_

 _Alcide Peron._ The name itself already sounded familiar to him, although he had forgotten why. He seemed to exude an aura of confidence and regality—with his current attire consisting of a red wine dress shirt, matched with khaki pants and black dress shoes—which only added to the latter. Even the sharp features of the young Prime Minister were not to be overlooked as it completed the impression that he was not a man to be trifled with, despite being only 28 years-old.

The only thing that lessened the young leader's aura of regality would be the occasional shaking of his hands as it gave the impression of nervousness, but nevertheless his demeanor made up for it. It was not that obvious as he kept it out of sight most of the time, however if one were to keep a close eye on his arms one could see the subtle shaking also present in them. _'Symptoms like these are signs of…'_ He started _'Hmm, if what I'm thinking is correct, then…'_ He let the thought drift to the back of his mind. Suzaku had no problems eyeing everyone inside the room as Zero's mask ensure that no one saw his face, but he could see them.

"With all due respect Prime Minister, but I was getting to that." He said, to which Alcide motioned him to continue. "While I cannot speak for the entire empire, Britannia is not idiotic and is aware that due to the death of His Majesty…" He paused for a while, seemingly distraught by talking about the death of Lelouch, although Suzaku had seen through his façade already and was simply keeping it for show. While Jeremiah had been one of the people who thought that Lelouch's plan was downright insane, he could not deny the logic behind it, and in the end, had respected his Lord's wishes and even regarded him as a martyr for what he was willing to do for the sake of the world.

"…peace will come." He regained composure and continued. "Due to the assault and obliteration of Pendragon. Most of the Britannian government had been wiped out save for the former Prime Minster, his siblings, and of course me. The Britannian government is set to be relocated at New Pendragon, which would be on the eastern coast of the Britannian homeland. As for the issue of the successor, with armed conflict set to diminish over the course of the years. Britannia needs a ruler who will rule with compassion and kindness for the people, as wounds would have to be healed as well. No longer shall the toxicity of the previous empires' plague the future. I believe it is time for it all to change." He paused for a while, choosing his words carefully.

"And Britannia's best chance at this, would be the sister of the former Emperor herself. Princess Nunnally vi Britannia."

* * *

 _ **Hyatt Regency, Tokyo Settlement |**_ _ **September 24, 2018 a.t.b |**_ _ **1:20 PM**_

The Hyatt Regency was originally one of Japan's most known hotels, but the original one was damaged beyond repair due to the war, as only the primary skeletal structure was what remained in the Shinjuku Ghetto. While Britannia did rebuild the hotel—even used the old name—in the settlement, it appears as though the action was received more as an insult to the Japanese, as well as the Honorary Britannians at that time. The reason why? Well, Lelouch thought it was already obvious, but he didn't have time to ponder on that.

As he tended to his wounds with some antiseptics and bandages and put some ice in an ice pack for his bruises, he couldn't help but be quite… fascinated by how events are turning out just as he'd foreseen, even better than he'd expected. For one, it appeared that talks between the U.F.N and Britannia were already underway.

"To think that only a day after my death." Lelouch said and chuckled, he had learned from his 'savior' that only a day had passed, and that hours after Suzaku had stabbed him on a television broadcast all over the world, the U.F.N had called for an emergency meeting supposedly intended for its course-of-action with Britannia, but it was quite obvious that the U.F.N. were only capitalizing on the opportunity presented to them, under the guise of peaceful negotiations, but he had no doubt that the meeting would end well.

He'd also learned that a Britannian representative was invited, and he was quite sure that Jeremiah would be the one to represent Britannia as he was the only Britannian official that was currently in the country as well as the only one that was close to the former Emperor, and that would make him the ideal person as the U.F.N would question him on what would be Britannia's course-of-action now that he's 'dead'.

He had heard from the owner of the hotel suite he was currently staying at that Zero had been invited as well. To the public eye, Zero had been the face of terrorism, but after Zero Requiem's completion, the world would now start to see Zero as a face of peace, if what he foresaw was to be realized, but to the Black Knights, he wasn't sure if Zero would still be accepted, like he was at the start.

"Even though everything's going as it should be, and the path to peace is finally being constructed—" He started, simply voicing his thoughts out loud as he paced through the room, and picking up some misplaced things—articles of clothing, bottles of what seemed to be medication, pages of paper, and such—that made the otherwise tidy room look messy.

He stopped at the window, overlooking the gaping hole where the F.L.E.I.J.A. warhead struck the settlement. After Schneizel's defeat, he had ordered that the settlement be rebuilt immediately, knowing that it'd take years for the settlement to be back at its original—if not more improved state. He thought of it as a last gift for the Japanese people, suppose they'd seen through the dictatorship act that was needed for his plan.

"What role do I still have to play?" He completed as he looked onto the few skyscrapers that were lucky enough to not have been in the blast radius, specifically at the Metropolitan Government Building, where his apparent 'savior' was currently at, attending the meeting.

With nothing more to do as his wounds were already taken care of, he went to the bed to lie there for an indefinite period of time as he succumbed to his thoughts.

' _If she truly is related directly to Geass, and if she even ensured that I possessed the will to live through that ordeal, then it would only mean that she was serious about what she had said and that I'm still…important, somehow, in the days, weeks, months, or even years to come.'_

Sighing for probably the tenth time, if not more, during the day. He gave up and tried to sleep it off, that is, until he jerked upwards as he suddenly felt as if someone had stopped his heart from beating and his lungs from breathing, but the feeling only lasted for a few seconds before his vital organs proceeded to function properly again.

Panting heavily, he sat up and put his hand right above his chest as he steadied his breathing, only to be immediately shocked of the sort-of astral projection of the woman that he had met a few hours prior that had appeared before him.

"Why you humans are affected by _that,_ I don't know why." The entity had said, her face crunched, seemingly in thought but regained her stoic expression immediately and continued on "I see that you have a lot of questions, Lelouch. You are quite clever, so I'd assume that you'd already know the place where you'll get the answers to your questions." She finished as she slowly faded, imparting words that surprisingly gave unnecessary pressure to Lelouch.

" _Do not disappoint us."_

After a few seconds had passed, Lelouch had let go of a breath he didn't know he was holding and slumped back into his previous position in the bed. As he waited for the meeting to be done and for the owner of the room to come back, he ultimately decided that sleeping would be the best way to pass the time that he had.

Near drifting off into whatever dream awaited him, he suddenly found the answer as to where exactly did the entity want him to go to.

"C's World." He silently muttered as he drifted on to sleep.

* * *

 _ **Conference Room Alpha, Metropolitan Government Building, Tokyo Settlement |**_ _ **September 24, 2018 a.t.b |**_ _ **1:30 PM**_

Honestly, Suzaku had expected the entire room to be in an uproar after Jeremiah's announcement regarding Lelouch's successor. However, what happened was quite the opposite, and truthfully, he couldn't be happier that the opposite of what he'd expected had actually happened.

While some of the gathered leaders had obvious looks of surprise in their expressions, most of them had actually proceeded to talk to one another regarding Britannia's decision, as most of them had heard that during the soon-to-be-Empress' service as Viceroy of what was once Area Eleven, she definitely ruled with kindness, shown as she was more than willing to risk her position just to reinstate the Special Administrative Zone of Japan for the Japanese, and even though the idea was met with animosity from the Japanese due to the failure of the first try on the SAZ, and was capitalized on by the former Zero to guise one million Japanese that were members of the Black Knights and send them into 'exile', it still showcased the Viceroy's intention for a different system where people are treated as equals, which definitely gave Jeremiah more grounds on which to base his claim that the younger sister of the former Emperor was cut to become the next ruler of one of the world's superpowers.

And even then, it seemed like some of the U.F.N members were quite approving of Britannia's motion, too approving in fact.

"I do wish to express my concern over Britannia's decision, Mr. Gottwald."

Or not.

Suzaku looked at the direction where he had heard the voice come from, and was met with what appeared to be a spitting image of the Black Knights' Research and Development head, save for her hair which was more of a dark blonde shade and in the style of a curly bob, and the apparent lack of a _bindi_ on her forehead, as well as the difference in how they carried themselves. While Rakshata had a calm and carefree demeanor, this person had an authoritative and dominating presence. She was dressed in a white long-sleeved blouse topped with a wine-red fitted blazer and what appeared to be black slacks—definitely fitting for her, simple yet striking.

Suzaku looked at the nameplate placed in front of the Indian representative, slightly surprised not of her relation to Rakshata, but of her position.

 _Roshani Chawla_

 _ **Prime Minister**_

 _ **United States of India**_

With the attention now centered on her, she began her statement.

"Most of us know of the princess' kind-hearted actions during her tenure as Viceroy and see it as one of your grounds on making her the successor to the Britannian throne. Do you not think, Mr. Gottward, that she is inexperienced for this?" She said, but before Jeremiah could put up a response she had continued on.

"Yes, she was Viceroy of the-once-Area-Eleven, but certainly that couldn't have prepared her much for the position that she is about to ascend to. While the U.F.N doesn't have the authority to command Britannia as to who it puts onto the throne, the council needs some form of reassurance that the soon-to-be Empress can handle an empire."

"Prime Minister Chawla." Jeremiah started. "The concerns that you have raised have been considered by the remaining members of the Britannian government. Under the new government, an Imperial Council comprised with eight members will be formed. Four of the council members will be coming from civilian backgrounds while the other four will be screened from the remnants of the current government so as to ensure that the ones in the council will not be puppets by other people in power or with influence."

"What are you implying Mr. Gottwald." Kaname Oghi asked, who appeared to have been seemingly displeased by of Jeremiah's statement.

"Emperor Lelouch vi Britannia abolished the aristocracy, as well as the Area system. Not all of the people from the homeland had approved of this, mostly the nobles and the heads of the disbanded corporate groups. Even though that their power was taken, it does not make their influence across Britannia waver much. We are just taking precautions." Jeremiah paused and looked at the nameplate in front of Oghi.

"Prime Minister Oghi."

"I apologize." Oghi replied, realizing his mistake.

There were a few seconds of uncomfortable silence that had followed before Kaguya had spoken to ease the tension.

"With those matters aside, we can now proceed." Kaguya stole a glance towards Suzaku's direction for a brief second, before addressing everyone once more.

"While I did state earlier that this meeting has two primary agendas, this is also a great opportunity to—"

Suzaku somewhat tuned out Kaguya and just tried to listen in on the important parts of the discussion as they'd decided to prolong the second agenda of the meeting. Honestly, Suzaku thought that maybe he should've waited a bit more before he re-entered the conference room, but he knew how essential these meetings were.

From what he'd gathered, it appeared that once the new Britannian government is established, Jeremiah will be stepping down from his position in the Britannian military—retiring, in other words—not that he didn't already know. Also, it appeared that Jeremiah spoiled the surprise when he had addressed Oghi as one of the meeting's minor agendas was to introduce Kaname Oghi as the upcoming Prime Minister of the United States of Japan. Other than that, the Order of the Black Knights were to remain as the U.F.N.'s supranational military force and a few other concerns that he didn't bother to hear as it was not concerned with him nor with Japan and Britannia.

With the entire discussion—which took an hour and a half—finished, Suzaku had tensed somewhat, as he expected to be thoroughly questioned regarding his motives as well as his identity. He prepared himself as Kaguya spoke.

"Now then. Zero." She turned to face him directly. "The two questions asked earlier: Who are you? And what are your intentions now that we finally have a chance at peace?"

"Who I am behind the mask is out of the question, Miss Sumeragi. Zero is a man that is best known for his actions and the intentions behind them. I am sure that the Order of the Black Knights themselves can attest as to how Zero had effectively fulfilled his duty as commanding officer to the one before me." He paused as he looked to the direction where the Black Knights were. "Unfortunately, he had passed well before his time." He stated, making sure that the core members noticed the underlying meaning.

"But Zero cannot stay dead, for as long as the strong continued on oppressing the weak, peace would have never transpired. That is why I returned. Lelouch vi Britannia, who at first seemed to have intended to reform Britannia from the inside, had simply resulted to abusing the power that he held. To even go as far as become the sovereign of the entire world, _despicable._ " Suzaku tried to say the last word with as much distaste as possible, since he obviously knew that all of that was just a ruse needed for the Zero Requiem.

"The world, once again, needed someone to fight the Demon Emperor's oppression. That is why I took up the mantle of Zero, and that is why he needed to be dealt with." Suzaku finished. He knew that his answer to Kaguya's inquiry regarding his identity was really far from what they expected—and even from context—but all he needed to do was reassure most of the delegates that his identity matters little on what's to come.

And it appeared that he did. Some of the U.F.N. delegates that seemed to have accepted his answer, if you could even call it that—had somewhat relaxed, while those who were at odds were obviously in deep thought. There were a few who were unfazed by his answer—namely most of the Black Knights, Gino, some of the representatives, and Jeremiah, however his two guards appeared to also have somewhat been affected by his statements.

"Intention-wise." He continued, satisfied that the delegates were easier to impress than he realized. "What I want is what you all want as well; peace, and as the new incarnation of Zero I intend to protect the world's chance at peace, and fight for it as well. I have no problem if some of you will not put their trust in me as it is hard to trust someone whom you do not know." He paused.

"But as I said, Zero is a man best known for his actions and the results they bring. While he has his records of failure, it is to be expected as man is not born perfect."

He then looked at Kaguya's direction. "I hope that settles the concerns that the U.F.N. delegation has."

Suzaku inwardly smirked, since what Lelouch anticipated did happen. Zero's identity wasn't revealed to the general public, and he doubted that the core members had the time to declare who he truly was. Taking advantage of that fact, he could easily get on some of the delegates' good sides, and cause most to rethink what their opinion was.

Kaguya was somewhat irked by the turnout of the situation, but obviously didn't let it show that much apart from a slight change in both posture and expression. Although the same couldn't be said for the upcoming Japanese Prime Minister, as he was visibly shaking for a few moments before Tohdoh and Xingke—who still kept their stoic bearings—had talked to him. Suzaku thought that this wasn't what they had expected to have transpired, and honestly, he did too.

Kaguya, seeing as most of the delegates were quite satisfied with Zero's explanation, had stood up from where she sat and spoke.

"The Order of the Black Knights, as well as the U.F.N. representatives appear to be appeased by your explanation, if anyone wishes to address anything else before the end of this session, please do so." She paused for a moment, and after seeing that no one had spoken, continued

"Very well, this meeting is adjourned."

Suzaku sighed behind his mask. _'It's finally over.'_ He thought as he stood up and slowly walked towards the doors, cautious so as to lessen the interaction between him and the representatives that were leaving as well, oblivious to the inconspicuous glances that the core members of the Black Knights, as well as with Kaguya and Oghi, were sending to each other.

With a nod, Kaguya spoke.

"However." She started. "I do request that Zero, the Britannian representatives, and the Black Knights remain for a moment." Seeing the questioning glances from the delegates due to Kaguya's actions, she explained.

"This is something that the U.F.N. representatives need not to be concerned of at the moment as it would mainly cover the leadership of the Black Knights, seeing as Zero has returned, as well as discussions regarding the handling of the military forces of the Black Knights and Britannia's, as if they were to continue the original intention of the former Emperor and join the coalition of nations, then they would have to relieve all command over their military weaponry to the Black Knights, and if not, well." She paused and then oddly enough, smiled towards the delegates.

"It would be discussed."

* * *

 **I feel like the parts near the end suck, but still. Thanks for reading and hope you leave a review!  
**

 **Till next time!**

 _ **Xero Infinity**_


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